European Librarians in African Studies (ELIAS) is an informal network for all librarians, archivists, documentalists or other information professionals working with materials from and about Africa in institutions within Europe. ELIAS’s members work in a variety of institutions including libraries, archives, organisations, NGOs etc. The 2026 ELIAS meeting will be held at the library of the African Studies Centre Leiden (ASCL) in Leiden, The Netherlands on Friday 19 June 2026. The theme will be “Reimagining Africa” – Practical Strategies for Access, Visibility, and Use of African Library Collections.
If you would like to contribute we welcome the following formats:
- Individual papers or presentations (15–20 minutes)
- Roundtable (3-4 participants) or facilitated discussion
- Creative or practice-based presentations (e.g., exhibitions, digital projects, storytelling)
Proposals should include:
- Title of presentation/session
- Abstract (250–300 words) outlining the topic, approach, and relevance to the theme
- Presentation format
- Name(s), institutional affiliation(s), and short bio(s) (100 words max per presenter)
- Contact information
Proposal submission deadline: 15 March 2026
Click here for more information.
Please submit proposals as a single PDF or Word document to:
l.n.kanis@asc.leidenuniv.nl with the subject line: ELIAS 2026 Submission.